The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-08
BLAIR EDUCATION BILL.
How 1t Was Defeated by Democratic Lead.
4 erS In the fInuse.

ers In the House.
More than 100000 citizens Of the
United s!alea, q large portion OF whom
are voters, petitioned The Forty.
ninth Congrsss for tue passage OF tho
Educational bill.
Over 100000 Of the1s requests wero over
autograph signatures whilo others have
been presented collectively ffotn National
associations, societies, churches, esc.
The Washington National Republican in
c breakfast table letter to the President,
says: MIR. President: The Uouse oil
Representatives. Of the Forty.ninth Com
gress in its closing hours presents 10 the
people q esd spectacle indeed. 1t is not
a deliberative body il has simply reduced
itsell into q cabal to gag legislation aud
thereby defeat tho will Of the people. The
chief conspirators are Carlisle, Randall
and Morrison. The Blair bill, q wise and
patriotic measure, founded on the prin-
ciple OF promoting the general welfare by
free education, which il the cornerstone
Of republican institutions, is now being
deliberately stsa1glsd to death bv the
three Democrats named, all lcaders in the
Democratic party.
The following from tho Charleston. s.
O., Ners and Courier 10 OF interest, show.
ing how the South receivco this condition
OF things: The Importance Of tho Blair
Educational bill TO every Southern State
has been too clearly shown and is too
fully understood to require to bo argued
anew. Recent reports from Louisiana
give the unpleasant information thst oysr
one.half Of the voters OF that State cannot
read or write, and that tho number OF
illitorstes is increasing from year to year
rather than diminishing. Expenditures
Tor educational purpoaeB have reached
high-water mark, 1t Is believed, in nearly
every Southern State, II not in MI, and
federal aid must be obtained or n great
number OF children, white and black. will
grow up in hopeless ignorance.
Tho supposed constitutional objections
to the Blair bill have boon OVERCOME. or.
at any rate, the bill has been shown to be
HI constitutional rs many other legs de.
serving measures that have been passed
without any objection. 1t is OF supreme
co~nsequeTce, II 1t 10 OF any consequence ut
all, that tho people shall 'bs educated. II
intelligence, in short, 10 an element of
value in the exercise Of tho s%uffrase-ifit
is necessary for the success Of Tree i%nstitu.
tions and OF n government OF and by tho
people, that they who control the govern.
ment shall have trained minds, or at least
enough education 10 enable them to read
and write-then is this bill Of more i'm.
portancs than even the hills for the con.
~strucsion Of q navy, or OF Notifications, or
for any other purpose.
There 10 always, moreover, the epec;sl
and most urgent reason in iayo. Of the
particular bill in question, that where illit.
eracy Is most glaring and most dangerous,
that is in the South, 1t has been made an
element OF peril TO Tho South and to tho
whole country, by tho action ofthe nation
in imposing suffrage on q race OF people
who were utterly %unprepared and unfit
for 1t, and who arc hopeleesly unable to
educate themselves. No evidence or rea-
son whatever is given or can be given, we
believe, to justify the expectation that the
Southern States can successfully deal with
the pressing problem Of educating this
class Of their illitorste citizens, md those
who are coon to become citizens.
These are the general facts. A reason.